Dessert Auction 2012

A couple of weeks ago a local ministry, Deer Ridge Ministry held their annual prime rib dinner and dessert auction.  You can see pictures from last years dinner here and here.

This years theme was “All About Chocolate”.

A girlfriend and I once again, baked a few items for it.

I made Espresso “Cup” cakes with a whipped cream cheese espresso filling.

a way over the top chocolate candy bar cake.  It was chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting, with chocolate chips on the sides and crushed up Butterfingers and other assorted chunks of candy bars on top, then more chocolate drizzled over the top of it.

We combined efforts on the cream puff cake again.  I made the puff and the whipped cream while she made the filling and dipped the strawberries.

Some of the other desserts that were auctioned off….

There were 27 desserts in all.
Are you hungry yet??? 
Always a fun evening!

Grandkid catch-up

Since I’m catching up on blog posts, I thought I would share some Grand moments.

I had another birthday the beginning of the month.  That in itself, we don’t need to talk about but check out the “cake” the Grands brought me!

I love sweets but try not to eat too much sugar so what better than a deviled egg birthday cake?  Their momma makes the best deviled eggs!

Never mind the two that are missing…someone couldn’t wait for the candles to be lit.

This little one had her first overnight with us Saturday night. 

(Love those little teeth!)
The rest of her family went to visit another son in the burbs and then were heading downtown Chi-town for the day.  Miss E is a very good girl but how nice for them to be able to take just the older two and have a day together.

We had her overnight, had breakfast with the kitties, then she went to her other Grandma’s so we could go for a ride.

Blog? what’s a blog?

Webster's says a blog is…

a Web site containing the writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other Web sites.

That being stated…since I’ve been AWOL from my blog, does that mean that I’ve not had any experiences, observations or opinions?  Quite the contrary!  I have but having the time or motivation to put them down as ink on paper has been few and far between.  How does a person start blogging again after only posting 3 times in the last two months?!?   Holy Smokes Batman!  I’m going to do my best to catch you up on the goings on around here in the next few days.

Let me start with the recent weather we’ve had.  The last few days have been near 80 degrees and it’s mid-March?  So what does a self-respecting mid-westerner do when we have this kind of weather so early in the Spring?  Go for a motorcycle ride of course! 

Everything is bare yet which makes it pretty in it’s own right.  You can see so much without the foliage blocking views.

We had a few curious onlookers.  These kind are ok.  The dog that chased us twice, not so much!

We packed sandwiches and were able to sit by the river (Mississippi) for lunch.  Again, folks this is March in Northern Illinois.  Incredible!

The sky was the most beautiful blur Spring sky.

See the windmill?  I’ll bet it was spinning like crazy later this afternoon.  By the time we got home, the winds were blowin’ like crazy but it’s still warm.

Forecast calls for 70’s yet this week.  I know better than to think it’s going to stay like this.  It’s too early but it’s sure nice while it lasts.